Palm Pre Pricing: Rebate Good Through July 11. What Happens Next?

Hmm, this might have been mentioned elsewhere in the past, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it. Sprint’s official Palm Pre page has a bit of fine print that I only just noticed now. It’s generally all the standard fare, but these two bits jumped out at me:

Now I’m not suggesting any big pricing or rebate conspiracy here. This type of language is fairly common, after all. But if Sprint does experience shortages of the Pre (as many suspect), what might that mean in terms of prices when there’s more stock available?

For example, if I can’t get my hands on a Palm Pre this weekend, what are the chances I will get one before July 11? What happens after that date, regardless of inventory? Maybe I’m just feeling old wounds from the infamous quick price drop on the original Apple iPhone, but seriously: Why such a short timeframe for the initial Pre pricing and rebate?

My first thought was that if there is a change, I hope it’s for the better with a sweeter deal. But then, that would just anger some of the early adopters. In the end, I suspect that the same deal will simply be extended. Personally, I’d feel better if it was extended before this weekend, but regardless, I’ll be trying to grab two handsets on Saturday morning.